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ABC network owner Disney has reversed its suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, announcing that the late-night host will return to air tonight (Tuesday, September 23).
The company says his comments about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were “ill-timed” – but not a firing offence.
After “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy”, the broadcaster said he would resume Jimmy Kimmel Live! today.
Disney execs would be fools to think that ends the matter.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Kimmel’s suspension – and then pivoted, saying some networks should have their licences “taken away” for critical coverage of him. Asked about Kimmel’s reinstatement on Monday, he refused to comment. There’s clearly bad blood there, and we may expect Trump to take further action.
Behind the scenes, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, had threatened to pull ABC’s broadcast licence altogether.
But his Democratic colleague Anna Gomez called the pressure campaign “clear government intimidation” and said she was glad Disney had “found its courage”.
At the same time, major ABC affiliate groups Sinclair and Nexstar are refusing to air Kimmel’s return, replacing his slot with news programming.
Both condemned his jokes as “deeply insensitive”.
Sinclair has said talks with ABC are “ongoing” while Nexstar had yet to comment at the time of writing.
The split lays bare the uneasy relationship between corporate ownership, local affiliates and political power.
Nexstar is currently seeking FCC approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger — and critics are already asking whether its stance on Kimmel is designed to curry favour with the Trump administration.
Conversely, Hollywood and civil rights groups have hailed Disney’s reversal as a small but vital stand for free expression.
Ben Stiller, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston are among hundreds of stars who signed a letter calling the suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.
So Trump allies want Kimmel punished, affiliates are openly defying Disney, and the FCC remains hostile.
The irony is that Trump’s administration is on the record as having accused the UK and Europe of “suppressing free speech”, yet the president himself is leaning on regulators, companies and broadcasters to silence his critics.
Free speech in America, it seems, depends on whether you have the money, the political clout or the broadcasting licence.
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Jimmy Kimmel Live! is to go live again – sparking a new ‘free speech’ war?
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ABC network owner Disney has reversed its suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, announcing that the late-night host will return to air tonight (Tuesday, September 23).
The company says his comments about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were “ill-timed” – but not a firing offence.
After “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy”, the broadcaster said he would resume Jimmy Kimmel Live! today.
Disney execs would be fools to think that ends the matter.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Kimmel’s suspension – and then pivoted, saying some networks should have their licences “taken away” for critical coverage of him. Asked about Kimmel’s reinstatement on Monday, he refused to comment. There’s clearly bad blood there, and we may expect Trump to take further action.
Behind the scenes, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, had threatened to pull ABC’s broadcast licence altogether.
But his Democratic colleague Anna Gomez called the pressure campaign “clear government intimidation” and said she was glad Disney had “found its courage”.
At the same time, major ABC affiliate groups Sinclair and Nexstar are refusing to air Kimmel’s return, replacing his slot with news programming.
Both condemned his jokes as “deeply insensitive”.
Sinclair has said talks with ABC are “ongoing” while Nexstar had yet to comment at the time of writing.
The split lays bare the uneasy relationship between corporate ownership, local affiliates and political power.
Nexstar is currently seeking FCC approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger — and critics are already asking whether its stance on Kimmel is designed to curry favour with the Trump administration.
Conversely, Hollywood and civil rights groups have hailed Disney’s reversal as a small but vital stand for free expression.
Ben Stiller, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston are among hundreds of stars who signed a letter calling the suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.
So Trump allies want Kimmel punished, affiliates are openly defying Disney, and the FCC remains hostile.
The irony is that Trump’s administration is on the record as having accused the UK and Europe of “suppressing free speech”, yet the president himself is leaning on regulators, companies and broadcasters to silence his critics.
Free speech in America, it seems, depends on whether you have the money, the political clout or the broadcasting licence.
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